Willamette University student Ben Beeler, who has transitioned into being a vegan, piles greens and veggies right on the tray. / DANIELLE PETERSON / Statesman Journal

Written by

Bronte Dod

Special to the Statesman Journal

Benjamin Beeler sits down at a table in Goudy Commons on the Willamette University campus.

His dinner consists of a green salad with two pears on the side and a dressing he made. Instead of plates, Beeler just puts his food right on the cafeteria tray.

And then it begins. Glances from peers across the table. A small chuckle.

Someone breaks the silence.

"What happened to your plate?"

Beeler shrugs his shoulders and takes another bite of his salad.

"The plates here aren't big enough," he said.

Beeler is used to this scenario. Almost a semester into his second year of college at Willamette, he doesn't mind the comments; he even welcomes them.

"I say what's on my mind," he said. "And I hope people talk to me that way, too."

On Beeler's mind these days is a lifestyle change.

"It was a progression," he said. "I was recognizing one-by-one things that aren't good for my body."

Beeler grew up in San Francisco as an only child and has always been lactose-intolerant. When he began running cross-country and track and field his freshman year of high school, he developed problems with acid reflux. He eliminated gluten from his diet that year, and the problems went away.

When he started college, his running and digestion problems appeared again. Beeler discovered that his body couldn't digest meat.

"I started to wonder, 'Why do I eat meat? Why do I need it? Is it good for my body?'"

Becca Harper lived in the same building as Beeler freshman year at Willamette.

"I remember him going into the boys bathroom on Sunday mornings, turning on all the showers and doing yoga in there for like three hours."

Beeler had tightness issues when he got to college.

"I could barely run, and yoga fixed those problems," he said.

Although his problems improved with yoga, he plans to continue practicing yoga throughout his life.

The summer of 2012, Beeler read the book "Thrive." Written by former Iron Man Brendan Brazier, the book showed how Brazier developed a whole-foods and plant-based diet to maximize his vitality for competing.

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"The book was an extremely exciting development for me because I wanted to eat in a way that would maximize my athletic performance, and the book offered me a how-to guide to do just that," Beeler said.

That summer, Beeler adopted the mostly raw, whole foods, plant-based, gluten-free diet he eats now. His parents, whom he said, "gave me lots of freedom to do what I want," are fully supportive of his lifestyle changes, which haven't always been easy.

"Gluten-free is a giant change," he said. "The American diet is focused around wheat."

Beeler was inspired to eliminate animal products when he read a 1920 study called The Gerson Therapy, which found that one of the leading causes of cancer was consumption of animal products.

"I believe that animal products are extremely dangerous and poisonous to the human body," he said. "There is nothing in meat and dairy that you can't get through plants."

As radical as Beeler's lifestyle may seem, Beeler doesn't see it that way. At 16 years old, he woke up one morning and decided to run a marathon, which he finished in three hours and 44 minutes. That same year, after reading studies about how shoes are hazardous to runners, he decided to stop wearing shoes altogether, and his running improved.

Set yourself up for success. Craft a plan that will ensure you get the nutrition you need. Sources like the The DASH Diet (dashdietoregon.org or dashdiet.org) and Choose My Plate (www.choosemyplate.gov/healthy-eating-tips/tips-for-vegetarian.html) give guidelines for recommended servings from each food group. A registered dietitian can help ensure your meal plan meets your nutritional needs. Also, keep a food awareness journal to help you identify challenges and barrier and throughout, be patient and gracious with yourself as you adjust to your new plan.

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Be aware that protein from plant sources is generally less complete in the essential amino acids and less bioavailable (less well absorbed compared with animal protein). This means make sure your meals include a variety of legumes, beans, whole grains and colorful veggies to ensure you are getting a sufficient amount of all the essential amino acids. Soy beans and quinoa are two vegetable sources with a complete amino acid profile.

Calcium and iron are less bioavailable from plant sources. To avoid potential deficiencies in calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin D and iron, consider taking a multivitamin with minerals, or supplement with B12, calcium, vitamin D and iron if you are not getting enough in your diet.

Fortified grains and cereal provide iron and B vitamins. Cereals such as Total and Grape Nuts provide 100 percent the RDA for iron in each serving.

Ease into it. Establishing different eating habits — whether it's low-fat or low-meat, takes time. For long-term success, it shouldn't be viewed as an all-or-nothing change.

Make substitutes. One of the easiest ways to introduce yourself to vegetarian and vegan eating habits is to incorporate a meat substitute into one of your regular meals. On the next visit to the grocery, browse the options in the organic refrigerated area, often near the produce, or in the freezer section, often near the boxed waffles and garlic bread. Most products have a soy protein and wheat gluten base, and many deliver a realistic flavor and texture, including sausage links from MorningStar Farms and Naked Chik'n Cutlets from Quorn. Consider:

Soy crumbles can replace ground beef and mix with vegetable broth, V8 juice and vegetables for a hearty soup, or with chili beans and stewed tomatoes for chili.

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Tempeh, an Asian food made by fermenting soybeans, is a favorite of the Andrew family, for "chicken" salad or in a vegetable stir fry, with the tempeh marinated in a ginger sauce.

Branch out. Plenty of protein options beyond soy substitutes are available. Black bean burritos are fast and easy, and lentils work well in soups and salads. Find recipes from vegetariantimes.com, where you can search for recipes by ingredient. For lunch, a couple slices of avocado or a thin layer of hummus can replace mayonnaise on a sandwich. Taking dairy and eggs off the table is the final frontier in a plant-based diet, but look for vegan butter, cheese and mayonnaise. And Ener-G is an egg replacement.

Veganism: What is it

Veganism is hard-core vegetarianism. While a vegetarian might butter her bagel or eat a cake made with eggs, vegans shun all animal products: no meat, no cheese, no eggs, no honey, no mayonnaise. Ethical vegans have a moral aversion to harming animals for human consumption, be it for a flank steak or leather shoes, though the term often is used to describe people who follow the diet, not the larger philosophy.

Online

American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Nutrition information for following a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle can be found at http://stjr.nl/XEiLGv.

Vegan cookbooks

Vegan cookbooks, once a niche product, are coming out at such a fast clip that there are now sub-niches. Da Capo Press' vegan cookbooks include one on vegan soul food and another with Latin vegan recipes. "Skinny Bitch" diet books provide vegan lifestyle tips in a blunt, girlfriend-on-the-phone style (Sample passage: "Soda is liquid Satan. It is the devil."). And actress Alicia Silverstone added a dose of star power to the vegan cause with "The Kind Diet," a No. 1 best-seller.

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